Women’s competition sees AFL ‘losing $50 million a year’

The AFL has been reported as telling its 18 teams that the AFL Women’s (AFLW) competition is losing $50 million each year.

According to Nine's newspapers, AFL Chief Executive Andrew Dillon detailed the competition’s financial losses in a presentation last week, during which he noted that the AFLW currently costs $100 million each year to operate, while generating around AUS$50 million in income.

AFLW, which is operated by the AFL, was launched in 2017 and is now nine seasons old. Each team is set to play 12 regular season games in the upcoming 10th campaign, with the top eight clubs qualifying for a month-long finals series.

A review of the competition, undertaken by the AFL, also found that an expanded season, which has been requested by players, would result in an annual loss of $200 million. Factoring in cost considerations, the report advised that the plan for Tasmania to launch its inaugural AFLW team in 2027, before its men’s team joins the AFL a year later, is now unlikely.

The report added that Collingwood Chief Executive Craig Kelly spoke most strongly among the team leaders and cautioned that the AFL should weigh up the cost of expanding AFLW too quickly.

Kelly also reportedly argued that the AFL should not invest too heavily in AFLW at the expense of other challenges facing the sport, such as upgrading the MCG, the development of enhanced facilities across the country and improving the fan experience.

However, a number of other club chief executives at the meeting reportedly pointed out that AFLW delivers additional government funding, as well as increased sponsorship opportunities, new audiences and other cultural benefits.

Nine's report said that the AFL has identified three priorities to develop AFLW, starting with an improvement of on-field performances. It also flagged the need to increase attendances and television viewership, with both down significantly compared to the league’s debut campaign.

The third priority is the financial viability of AFLW, with league executives hoping to deliver a dedicated broadcast deal for the women’s competition beyond 2031.

Last year, pay-TV network Foxtel revealed that the 2024 AFLW campaign was the most streamed ever, with 179 million minutes streamed on its platforms. Linear audiences increased by 12% year-over-year (YoY), and streaming viewership rose by 61% YoY, with Foxtel declaring the 2024 season as the best-performing campaign since 2018.

The AFLW final, won by North Melbourne, averaged 354,000 viewers for free-to-air (FTA) network Seven.

AFLW players reportedly rank as the fourth highest-paid sportspeople in Australia behind athletes competing in the AFL, NRL and cricket. The average pay is estimated to be $87,000 per year, while the lowest-paid player earns around $67,000 annually.

Even though AFLW athletes now receive full-time salaries, Nine's report said some clubs have struggled to provide full-time support for its women’s players.

Elsewhere, during its meetings with team leaders, the AFL also reportedly floated the idea of introducing an in-season tournament. According to Nine, it could be launched in 2028 after Tasmania joins the league, with the regular season to be reduced to make space for the competition.

In 2024, the AFL posted a profit of more than $40 million, according to its annual report.

The presentation on the Gold Coast, led by Dillon, AFL Executive General Manager - Strategy and Technology Walter Lee, AFL Executive General Manager of Football Laura Kane, referenced extensive research into women’s sporting competitions and compared the merits of private ownership against subsidised models such as AFLW.

In 2024, the AFL posted a profit of more than $40 million, according to its annual report.